The Osceola times., 1887-11-05

| ~ NnfTf
them, and, uncoiling them, fit them
INTO the huge snatch-blocks which they
nave hooked into heavy rings in the
deck.
| The ends are carried up over the
lower rigging, passed through more
blocks, or pulleys, over more rigging,
down on deck again, and made fast 10
the heel of the great topmast. Now
many others seize the rope, the boat.
SWANS whistle sounds a long-drawn.
shrill cry, the blocks creak, the BIG
stuck moves up, an iron KEY is passed
to keep it in its place, and the main
topmast is up.
This work is going on in difTeren,
forms all over the ship at the same
time, until at noon, when the pine.
sound "belay all, " and everybody goes
to dinner. fully one-half of the work i.
done, and done well.
During the morning ] had been
watching Charley Beeston, whenever
got chance and l observed that he
was stationed in the maintop. He
seemed very anxious to do his duty.
and worked hard, but his classmate.
ridiculed him numerically, because he
would keep hold of something with one
hand all the time he was aloft, leaving
only one hand to work with.
Soon after noticed this, one of the
heutenants saw it, too, and without
the slightest regard for the boys new.
ness in sailor ways, sung out, gruflly
''Mainyard therer'
Sir returned the first classman in
the top.
"Tell that youngster to let 90 of the
shroud and 60 to work with both
hands; we don't want any idlcr'.
! here"
When this thoughtless order was re.
peated TO Charley, | fully expected q
remonstrance, but not word did he
say but the already familiar "Ay. az,
SIR and simply obeycd.
He lost his balance several times be-
fore Ne were pipcd to dinner, but al.
though each time he flushed painfully.
he gave no other sign, but went bravclv
on with bis work of passing up the
heavy rigging for the topmast. and
said TO an old sailor who stood near
me coling down a rope, ".Ihat boy
has pluck, by Georgel and that's more
than can say for half of those young
dogs who are guying him."
"He has that sir" said the man;
you oughter hev seen him last night
when they cut down his hammock and
he'd like to hev broke his head on the
deck He just got up and said moth
ing, but | saw that in his eye that
made them scamps sneak Off without
even the laugh they were after
BY eight bells that afternoon. or as
they say on shore. four o'clock, al
though storm was brewing and It
blew hard we had every thing up cX-
cept the main top-galant mast which,
as you must know. is the uppermost OF
the three separate sticks of which the
mast is composed.
They were making new enc for MS
in the carpenters shop ON shore. 1t
came of just as one bell struck (half
past four). and the main top men were
sent aloft TO receive it, Charley among
them.
The rest of the men were on deck,
which was consequently rather crowd
ed,. coiling down ropes, unlocking the
great block which we were through
with, and sending them below, and
making things generally ship-shape
Within q few minutes the mast-rope
which was TO be used in hosting the
heavy timber was rove Of, rs the
sailors say. through the block up aloft
and through big block on deck, with
the hauling part laid along the deck all
ready.
The wind had risen by this time so
that halls from aloft were hardly audi
BILE on deck. and the men had just be-
gun to haul away on the rope, when
Charley came down on deck to say
that some Of the loose topmast rigging
wa. afoul Of the mast-ropc, and to be-
lay the rope till they could clear it.
He stood by the rail rs he delivered
his message, and the sailors Immediate
" took a couple of turns with the rope
around Delaying pin near the block
through which it passed The mast
already swayed some fifty or sixty feet
high in the air, directly over q knot Of
men engaged at the foot of the main
mast
Whether the rope slipped or the be-
laying pin, which though large was
of wood. broke, never could tell, but
as | turned my head to look aloft at
the mast. | heard loud exclamation
behind me, accompanied, rather than
followed, by the noise of a rope run
ming through n block; and at the same
instant the heavy mass swayed slightly,
then plunged downward
The doom Of the poor fellows be
meath il seemed sealed.
/ was fairly paralyzed, but in tn,
same moment a boyish voice, firm aud
strong, rang out behind me: "Stand
from under!" and then there was Il
dull. crushing sound. 1t all passed in
single instant, so qui ky that | did
not have time to think, much less to
turn. but | saw the mast stop. not more
than ten feet above the heads of the
men below it, as they spgang lightly tc
one side--sayed!